By Brett Gilbert ’17, Staff Writer
The men’s basketball team will be adding some help on the sidelines for the 2016-17 season in a unique form.
Andrew Capodanno ’19 will be assisting the men’s basketball team with coaching duties for the upcoming season. Capodanno will be positioned as the team manager for the second straight year, but he will see an expanded role within the coaching staff.
“Basketball season is the greatest five months of the year for me, and I can’t wait to get started,” Capodanno said.
The sophomore hopes to significantly expand his role within the team and program this year. In his new role, Capodanno expects to participate in the day-to-day activities of running a college basketball program.
“I would think I’m going to be behind-the-scenes of breaking down film, assisting the staff with writing scouting reports, getting them printed out, sending recruiting letters out and making phone calls,” Capodanno said.
Capodanno said he’s willing to do anything thrown his way. The opportunity came about this summer when Capodanno was in contact with Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Brad McAlester and Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Will Cabrera.
“I ended up making a phone call to Coach McAlester, and he said we could probably make this work where you’re doing some of the things you did last year as a manager, but we can take it one step further and give you several coaching duties including sitting on the bench during games,” Capodanno said. “You’re in every film breakdown, you’re at all the team meetings and every practice.”
For McAlester, he hopes that Capodanno will come to understand some of the basic day-to-day operations as a coach and the situational leadership that comes along with being a coach.
“He will learn that you have treat every situation a little different,” McAlester said. “Player personalities, player emotions and coaching decisions will all need to be treated differently.”
Capodanno sees this experience as a great learning tool for a possible career in coaching down the road. He insists that he has a lot to learn about coaching considering he is only 20 years old, but he hopes to make a contribution.
“My biggest thing this year is that I need to be the best listener I have ever been,” Capodanno said.
Capodanno believes he is in the perfect spot in order to fulfill his aspirations of becoming a successful basketball coach.
“There’s not two better guys in Division III basketball to learn from than Coach McAlester and Coach Cabrera,” Capodanno said. “I have the highest praise for them so I just hope to learn what it is like to go out on the road recruiting, how to run a practice, how to write a practice plan, what do you look for when breaking down film and just the logistics of day-to-day operations of basketball.”
The idea of coaching did not just come out of nowhere for Andrew. It runs in the family. Capodanno’s father, brother and grandmother have had coaching success in the high school and college ranks. He knows relationships are key and has worked hard to establish them with other coaches and players.
“It’s a great group of guys and there’s nothing I enjoy more than being around it during the winter time,” Capodanno said. “As exhausting and tiring and frustrating as it can be sometimes, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
And why would he? With just a year of college under his belt, he’s already leaving his mark on the hardwood.